National Trails Day is all about championing the benefits of outdoor recreation for health, connection, and community. It’s a call to action to care for the trails we use and love, through hands-on volunteering and local stewardship.
This year, 31 volunteers gathered at Prickly Pear Park to help bring a brand-new loop trail to life. The new winding path leads through a quiet aspen grove, offering a scenic, shaded experience for walkers, runners, and families exploring the outdoors. It’s the first trail addition since the park opened to the public earlier this year, and it’s one that community members will soon enjoy for years to come.
Among the crew was East Helena local Angela H., who brought four of her kids to join the effort. “I love that this place is local to us — we can just come right down here,” she said. “We’ve been here several times since it opened, hiking with my kids. It feels good to be part of something we’re going to use often.”
That’s the kind of connection that trails can create. They get us outside, bring us together, and become part of our everyday lives.
Why Trails, Why Here?
National Trails Day brought together neighbors, families, and PPLT staff to build something meaningful. After all, trails aren’t just about recreation. In East Helena, Prickly Pear Park is transforming a former industrial site into something full of life: wetlands, wildlife, creek access, and now, more ways to explore it. Volunteers shaped it, but it’s the footsteps of the community that will truly make it a trail.
Get Involved
This trail was built in a day, but it’ll be used for years. Want to be part of the next project?
- Stay connected with us. Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social for future volunteer days, events, and updates.
- Volunteer with us! Tools and training will be provided.
- Visit the park. Bring a friend and walk the new loop.
Cassie Solberg is the Communications Coordinator at PPLT.
